Volkswagen is bringing back physical buttons to all its vehicles after pivoting to touch screens in recent years. In an interview with Autocar, Andreas Mindt, design chief at the German auto giant, called the decision to remove these buttons “a mistake.”
“From the ID 2all onwards, we will have physical buttons for the five most important functions – the volume, the heating on each side of the car, the fans and the hazard light – below the screen,” he explained, adding: “It’s not a phone: it’s a car.”
This doesn’t mean touch screens are set to disappear on new Volkswagens, just that drivers will now have the option of physical controls for their most used day-to-day tasks. The new controls are set to make their debut in the ID.2all, a small, budget EV set to debut in Europe.
Last year, Hyundai promised to keep physical controls for its important functions, like volume adjustments and air conditioning, with its head of design highlighting the safety benefits of having an easy-to-use physical button.
In 2022, a study by Swedish car magazine Vi Bilägare found that drivers were better able to perform simple tasks like tuning the radio to a specific channel or raising the car temperature using old-school buttons.
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Tesla is also pivoting back to real-world controls, at least partially. It reintroduced its turn signal stalk on the steering column in the recently refreshed Model Y, InsideEVs notes.
European regulators are also cheering on the transition back to physical buttons. As of Jan. 1, 2026, new cars sold in the EU will need physical buttons or switches for their horn, windshield wipers, turn signals, hazard warning lights, and SOS features if they want to get the highest safety rating from the European New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP).
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About Will McCurdy
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